Of Thorn and Thread (Daughters of Eville #4) - Chanda Hahn Page 0,100
give way, felt the tension lesson, and we fell.
“Aura!” Liam appeared, catching the banner at the last second as the end slipped over the wall. I cried out as my body slammed into the stone.
“Liam,” I cried, but could feel my fingers giving way. The queen was too heavy for me, and he was struggling to pull us both up.
I could hear him straining and grunting through gritted teeth as he tried to drag us up slowly, inch by inch. He lost his grip and fell forward, his stomach slamming into the wall. We fell again, losing the precious few inches we had gained. I saw the inevitable.
I looked down below me, toward the burning forest, and remembered my mother’s warning. One of the daughters will fall. I closed my eyes and felt the tears burn as I realized this was the end. I was out of strength.
I met Liam’s gaze, and he read my thoughts. “No, Aura. It’s not the end. I won’t let you fall.” With renewed strength, hand over hand, he pulled us up. But I could feel my strength waning and knew it would be too late.
“Why won’t you die?” Queen Maris cried out, and I felt a painful stab in my side.
I gasped in shock and felt my fingers lose their grip.
“Aura, no!” Liam cried out and dove for my wrist, catching me at the last second.
A raven appeared and dive-bombed the queen.
Queen Maris withdrew the dagger from my side. The bird wouldn’t give up and clawed at the queen’s face, causing her grip to lesson. Maris lunged and waved the weapon wildly at the air, making contact and slicing the raven. I heard Maeve’s mental scream, felt her pain, and watched as her black form plummeted. The queen lost her grip, falling with the bird into the burning mage fire, her scream echoing into the night.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“Maeve!” I cried. I heard nothing in response.
My world swam. Pain radiated from the wound in my side. I was so tired. I wanted to let go and join my sister in death.
“Don’t let go, Aura,” Liam yelled, pulling on my wrist until my ribs rammed against the ledge. With a last tug, he pulled me up to safety. Liam’s arms wrapped around me, his lips brushing across my brow as he whispered promises. “It’s okay, Aura. I’ve got you. I won’t let you go.”
Tears streamed down my face and I felt numb. I looked back over the ledge, searching the burning forest below with my eyes and reaching for her with my mind.
I yelled her name over and over with no response until my voice was hoarse. Everything was silent, and then I knew why. I spun on Liam.
“Stop it!” Liam was shielding me with his magic. He was trying to block out the pain and the emotions.
“Aura, she’s gone. She couldn’t have survived that far of a fall, and into the fire.”
I flung his arm away. “Don’t touch me! I have to find her.” I raced for the stairs that led toward the palace exit. Liam gripped my elbow, stopping me.
“No, help them.” He pointed at the burning palace, the courtyard filled with people as they tried to escape the mayhem. Fire blocked every exit while a battle raged on between Maeve’s fire dragon and Tatiana’s magical thorns.
“I don’t care. Let them die,” I snarled. “I need to find my sister.”
“You don’t mean that.” Liam backed away from me, his eyes filled with sorrow.
“I do. I hate this kingdom. I hate this place and wish I had never come. I wish I’d never met you. Then . . . then she would still be alive. She wouldn’t have followed me here.”
“Aura,” Liam coaxed. “I have to shield you. There’s too much death. As an empath, you can’t handle it.”
I was being smothered. The intense pressure was moving in and I could see he was trying to help me.
“Stop shielding me!” I screamed. “If you want me to save your kingdom, Your Highness, then you will stop shielding me right now.”
Liam blanched, and he stepped back in surprise. “What do you mean? I thought you were the heir?”
“You are King Pharell’s and Ophelia’s child.”
“I don’t understand . . .”
“The night of your christening, Allemar took you into the forest and left you to die. It was Oma, Ophelia’s maidservant, who rescued you and took you to the Order of the First Light, the orphanage that Duke Tallywood adopted you from.”